Mike Stoops' temper was bad, losing was worse

Posted on: October 10, 2011 10:02 pm

Edited on: October 11, 2011 10:22 pm

It's a bit easier to be screaming, raving sideline madman when you win.

That was the lesson we learned from midseason casualty No. 2 on Monday night. Arizona's Mike Stoops was fired abruptly after 7 1/2 seasons. Ask Woody Hayes or Bob Knight about sideline demeanor. Sure, their personality flaws eventually led to each coach's downfall, but winning allowed them to be enabled for a long time.

Not so much with Mike Stoops. After starting 7-1 last season, he lost his next 10 games against FBS schools, twice to Oklahoma State. The capper came Saturday, losing to previously winless Oregon State.

Stoops maybe could have kept his job a little longer if he cleaned up his sideline act. There were those in the Arizona administration who were definitely upset about it. But the losing was primarily the thing. Spectacular losing after Arizona went 1-10 since that 7-1 start. A losing streak so long against FBS competition that the Pac-12 was still the Pac-10 when it started.

Nebraska's Bo Pelini learned. Even Stoops' more accomplished brother Bob learned a long time ago he had to be more corporate on the sidelines. But they won, and continue to win. Like Pelini and his brother, Stoops is a defensive coach at heart. But only five teams are worse defensively this season than this Arizona squad.

When he was hired, Mike looked like the new generation of Stoops brother. He had coached with Bob at Kansas State and Oklahoma. Mike was one of the up and comers when his screaming from the coaches' booth could be heard in the press box during his days at K-State.

Mike got his chance at age 41 in 2003. Not many coaches get fired after leading their team to three consecutive bowls but it's obvious AD Greg Byrne, who wanted to his stamp on the program.

Not telling Byrne what to do but he'll probably be looking for a defensive-minded head coach who would bring in a big-name offensive coordinator. Arizona's heritage is defense going back to the days of the Desert Swarm D.

Stoops is still a valuable commodity. In fact, his sideline antics would be more acceptable as an assistant (see Will Muschamp). No sooner had his situation become official Monday when Twitter blew up with Oklahoma fans wanting him back. For the record, there's no opening there. Brent Venables and his defensive staff are doing a fairly good job.

This is an early career-defining hire for Byrne, only 39. He's on a roll having talked hoops coach Sean Miller in off the ledge after Miller's flirtation with Maryland.

Mike Stoops' temper was bad, losing was worse

1993 was the year that "The Desert Swarm" was first coined and AZ went 10 - 2 with the only two loses being to UCLA and Cal. In 1994 they went 2 - 1 in Oregon/Washington...In 1995 and 1996 they split both Oregon teams and Washington teams.

So starting from the year "Desert Swarm" was first coined in 1993 then going into the next 4 years they had a combined record of 9 wins and 5 loses against the Pacific Northwest schools.Hardly beat more than not.

Since: Oct 26, 2010

Posted on: October 14, 2011 9:22 am

Call Bob!

Bob will hire Mike at OU for a few hundred thousand in easy money.

Since: Oct 14, 2011

Posted on: October 14, 2011 1:41 am

Mike Stoops' temper was bad, losing was worse

Well I was in the Pacific Northwest when they had desert swarm. The Oregon & Washington teams beat them more than not. I for one did not like Stoops act on the sidelines. I now live in Tucson & hope that they will do well. This is a basketball city first & it will always be. The school will not invest the money into the program to attract a top level coach. They do not have the facilities to attract the kids to the school either. The best we can hope for here is every five or six years to get one really good team for a shot at the Rose bowl. Now i heard talk that WSU is no man’s land & it is but they have been to two Rose bowls U of A none!!! U of W has been to numerous Rose bowls has won a National Championship & they have also had just recently an 0 for 12 season, but will get to a Rose bowl before U of A now. A Mike Leach type of coach might be what U of A needs someone not to expensive 3 to 5 mil & then a big investment to upgrade the facilities to attract big time talent to the U of A. Mike Stoops showed he can build a program that was in the crapper & make it respectable & for that I am glad we had him here. Thank you Mike Stoops for the good & bad because we needed that!!!!!

Since: Jan 6, 2009

Posted on: October 13, 2011 10:09 pm

Mike Stoops' temper was bad, losing was worse

"De-de-dee" Dodd compares him to Knight & Hayes but I never saw Mike hit or choke a player OR throw a chair or similar object. He took a so-so program & made it somewhat better. I'd be glad to give him a shot at becoming our next DC at Iowa since it appears good ol' Norm will never be able to perform his job again like he used to. Could also use a good OC but Captain Kirk will probably remain loyal to "Howdy Doody" O'Keefe---dagnabit!

Since: Nov 28, 2006

Posted on: October 13, 2011 5:04 pm

Mike Stoops' temper was bad, losing was worse

You are an idiot! Oklahoma hasn't won any big games since Mike Stoops left in 2003? For a team that is ranked 3rd or No.1 currently and has played in 5 BCS games and Two National Titles since then. They won the conference in '04,06,07,08 and '10 but they haven't won any big games since. He left. Good grief!!!

Watch some football as they just beat UT by 38 and GameDay was there.

You have lost every ounce of credit you ever carried. Now get out of the ibrary and go home to each Supper as Mother is waiting on you.

Since: Jul 23, 2009

Posted on: October 12, 2011 11:22 pm

Mike Stoops' temper was bad, losing was worse

Mike Stoops is a complete a**h*** and an embarrasment to himself let alone Arizona and the NCAA. If his brother hires him at Oklahoma he is a complete idiot.

Since: Dec 14, 2010

Posted on: October 12, 2011 9:41 pm

Mike Stoops' temper was bad, losing was worse

Stoops was a complete embaressment to Arizona, to college football, and frankly to humanity. His behavior ranged from comically deranged to heinous. Arizona should have gotten rid of him much, much sooner.

Since: Nov 3, 2007

Posted on: October 11, 2011 4:04 pm

Mike Stoops' temper was bad, losing was worse

SWIHawk they should have never canned Tomey. Malckovic was just an awful coach. From where he ran the program off the cliff yes Stoops did improve it. Stoops' personality was wearing thin which probably didn't help his cause. Fans will accept it if they are winning and unfortunately he wasn't doing much of that lately. He'll be a Defensive Coordinator this time next year at an FBS school.

Since: Oct 16, 2007

Posted on: October 11, 2011 3:07 pm

Mike Stoops' temper was bad, losing was worse

Would love to see KU pick him up as a defensive coordinator or consultant for the rest of the season.

Since: Jul 15, 2011

Posted on: October 11, 2011 2:32 pm

Mike Stoops' temper was bad, losing was worse

I'm sorry; he took a team that was 10th in the Pac 10 to THREE bowls in seven years, and that's not good enough for you? Tucson is a basketball program, and always will be; Colorado and Utah will both go to the Rose Bowl before Arizona ever does, and the Wildcats are undeserving of a good football coach.